A former correctional officer faces life in prison after he was found guilty in his second trial for the death of a 65-year-old man who was handcuffed and pummeled in a notorious blind spot in the Western Illinois Correctional Center.
A federal jury returned a guilty verdict against Todd Sheffler, an ex-lieutenant at the prison, on Aug. 23, more than four years after Larry Earvin’s fatal beating. After a previous trial in April, the jury could not agree on Sheffler’s role in the killing.
Earvin’s son Larry Pippion said his father was treated worse than an animal. Doctors compared his injuries to those of “a high-speed car crash.” Earvin’s autopsy report shows he had 15 rib fractures, more than two dozen abrasions, hemorrhages and lacerations.
Federal prosecutors said after the assault Sheffler and other guards falsified incident reports that they filed with prison officials and denied being involved or having any knowledge about the incident to the Illinois State Police.
Now Sheffler has been convicted of conspiracy to deprive civil rights and deprivation of civil rights resulting in bodily injury and death, conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct, obstruction and misleading conduct.
“Todd Sheffler violated his training, violated the U.S. Constitution and allowed, participated in and covered up the brutal beating of a 65-year-old man, defenseless, a fellow citizen, handcuffed behind his back and lying on the cold, hard concrete floor. He was the long, cruel arm of government,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene Miller said in his closing statement.
Prosecutors said Earvin, serving time for theft, disobeyed a guard’s orders to return to his cell and was pepper sprayed and handcuffed. A group of officers, including Alex Banta and Sgt. Willie Hedden then escorted him from the residential unit to the segregation unit. Sheffler joined along the way.
Video footage shows that Earvin walked on his own to the segregation. After he disappeared into an area without cameras, he had to be carried out minutes later, vomiting, with blood leaking from his head. Hedden, who took a plea deal, testified that he, Sheffler and Banta punched and stomped the elderly man. Banta allegedly jumped in the air and came down on Earvin’s torso with his knees.
Earvin spent nearly six weeks in the hospital before he died. His autopsy shows his cause of death was blunt trauma to the chest and abdomen. He had to get part of his colon removed and severe complications because of the damage to his chest.
A jury in April found Banta guilty of conspiracy to deprive and deprivation of Earvin’s civil rights, obstruction of an investigation, falsification of documents and misleading conduct. He is scheduled to be sentenced in October and also faces a possible life sentence.
Sheffler’s attorney argued Earvin’s injuries were caused by a beating before he left the housing unit. The jury was split 9-3 in the previous trial, but the new jury unanimously agreed that Sheffler was guilty on all five counts against him.
The law prescribes a life sentence for each civil rights resulting in death charge and 20 years in prison for each obstruction of justice charge.
Sheffler is scheduled to be sentenced in January 2023. Hedden, who pleaded guilty in March 2022 to civil rights charges and to conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct, will be sentenced in October.
“We hope this week’s guilty verdict and the prior convictions of the co-defendants provide a measure of justice for Larry Earvin and his family,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris. “We also hope it serves as a warning to all those who would abuse governmental power. Illinois correctional officers’ brutal beating of Mr. Earvin cost him his life, and that is a loss that can never be remedied. Our prosecution of this case demonstrates our continued commitment to equal justice under the law and to protecting society’s vulnerable, including those in our prisons.”
